I Am Giant
by El Spoot
Summary: Awakened after so many years, a lost memory to humanity seeks comfort in spirit, and to protect them from his own counterparts. A Giant wages war on Titans, and he, not they, will decide mankind's fate.
1. Chapter 1

**To those who have enjoyed this story, I apologize for not updating. Life has kept me preoccupied, and I have been thinking of a new way to take the story. **

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There are many ways to consider life, whether it be flesh or metal, as such elements do not matter, but know always that sentience is necessary to dictate a spirit's strength. Know that he, born Iron, finding humanity in sacrifice, wept openly upon a child's grave, and that he, turning hard eyes onto Titans, spared none. Their teeth and flesh had been found weak and easily torn by a giant more human than they. Through regrown forests and over mountains, the alien machine marched, searching for life that Hogarth cherished dearly, and decided to embrace that which he feared.

"I am a weapon."

For what purpose, he questioned, crushing another Titan's skull in gauntlet, he considered to be vengeance, not shock and relapse when seeing a firearm. Kill, that much he could do and rightfully so, but revenge would not bring back humanity, a race hard learned in kindness when so much had been stripped by these beings. No, kill not to redeem, but rather to save, a lesson he slowly learned and harshly swallowed, following the clambering Titans to a new land. Sixty ton boot after sixty ton boot, mechanical thumps breaking the sick patting of over-sized feet, before a casual swipe snapped another's neck and threw its body into a ravine.

It haunted him to no end, more than any vision of past life ever could, when seeing these beasts tear a screaming man in half by flat teeth. A human, a kind he saved and loved and gave no pause in flying into a missile's path for while whispering an earned title, were dying off to giants not like he. Perhaps fleshy as humans, perhaps tall as the giant, but killing life nonetheless, just as he did, those bitter dreams told him. For the longest time the Titans ignored the Giant, even when he passed in curiosity through their lumbering ranks, but when he knelt to bury a body, clawing open earth by massive fingers, they all attacked to swallow the corpse. One's teeth shattered on resistant shoulder, the worried giant glancing frantically about and telling them to stop, but when another reached into a house and pulled another victim out there was no pause. False flesh and bone cracked and split when he grabbed that hand, all Titans learning that day a Giant made from metal was an opponent they could not swallow. Bodies dissolved when he finished, all hissing and fading away around the second grave he dug and filled.

A few hundred years passed since his sacrifice, parts rolling through forest and ice without abandon, and all save holy men begging where their guardian went forgot him. Perhaps it is why some people did not scream in terror when he passed through the woods, although curiosity and immobilizing horror could have played a role. A few hundred years to rebuild, and only a few days of wandering for him to gain direction to hope and humanity. Follow the current, that grotesque invading army. A built in measure, perhaps, based on suppressed programming to follow the tide of other marching machines, but this memory the Giant did not care to dwell on and blinked away the red building behind massive eyes.

_Tink-tink-tink-tink-tink. _A strange noise to hear in the forest, let alone any forest, replacing the chirping birds that sadly quieted when he passed. Did they forget him, the animals and people? Possibly, it had been a while. How long? He paused, idly scratching at metal chin, a cheerful little habit copied from Dean. "Hmm." It had been... years, the beacon his head sent taking quite some time to collect all parts scattered over the world when the missile exploded. _Tink-tink-tink-tink-tink. _Never before did he see such trees, the likes of which towering overhead. So that's what nature could do when left to its own devices, or stripped of humanity, the later thought giving a sick feeling in positronic receptors. _Tink-tink-tink-tink-tink._

What, the Giant pondered, could that queer sound be? About the Giant looked, arms raised this way and that, turning about several times before plucking a squirming man off squared shoulders. There Levi swung, coat pinched between thumb and forefinger, starring back at the confused Giant, who in turn looked up to behold fresh graduates peering down from the branches. He blinked, looked back to Levi, blinked again, and gave an awkward wave.

"Hello."

_Tink!_

The scout's sword snapped off one curling metal finger, point vanishing in the recesses of brush and debris. Saddened by this hostile display, the Iron Giant deposited Levi on the ground, gave an indignant huff, and continued marching towards the city, unaware that Eren continued to swing lazily off his back from where hooks found connection. Towards the last human settlement, walls built by unknown means, the greatest personification of Superman strode.


	2. Chapter 2

Author's Note: I have plans to rewrite chapter one at a later date, but for now I'd like to get all my ideas out and set. I apologize for the one re-write, that was too much action all at once. I also just discovered there is a band called I Am Giant, so no, that's not the reason I named the story that. I didn't want to use something cliche like Attack on Giant. The story is going to focus a lot more on the Giant and his balancing loving and ending life. I promise longer chapters when life settles down. Thank you for the reviews and the inspiration to continue this story.

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There are many paths in life that one may take. Pick up a penny, miss one potential love passing by, turn about and consider the trees, suddenly desire apples, and walk to a market where the one you'll marry awaits. This had been the Giant's discourse, wandering aimlessly, only heading towards the city when he looked upon a bird flock, deciding to take time watching them, their path turning synthetic eyes to the distant settlement. He smiled, blinked a few times, appreciating nature and the prospect of humanity's continued existence, and marched steadily in that direction. Had he contemplated a different path, flying high by fusion rockets, he might have shot over the scouts and into the city, causing a destructive riot. Instead, by enjoying nature's beauty, by how life needed to exist to be more than senseless spirits, how it twisted and formed to appreciate the universe's designs, the Giant walked into a gathering most hostile to tall beings.

Consider Mina, crouched on a branch, blades drawn, choosing not to back away when the Giant passed. Had she not seen him oblivious to Eren comically swinging behind she might have retreated. Had she not seen Levi carefully dropped to the ground, mimicking a bug lowered by a child, she might have rushed out to strike in futile at a metal wrist. She kept still, eyes narrow, searching carefully for what this all meant, when the Giant passed by, blinked and waved.

"Hello."

_Did... did he just wave? Was that a greeting?_

Such detailed contemplatives rarely crossed the Giant's mind. Head tilted, smile waning into wariness, the Giant took a small step back, fingers first curling as would a man feeling uneasy, before the powerful arm returned properly to a reinforced side. Blades. He thought the flashes to be a reflection, not registering Levi attacked. Mina, armed, dangerous, gun. All at once a bitter memory returned, a destructive march through Hogarth's town, the effects blinked away when metal eyelids clinked together.

Despite being so high up, the Scouts were not out of the Giant's reach. Yet those hands, so destructive in capability, owned by a truly gentle soul, were left low and open, inspected fearfully by a lost soul. Shoulders rose, head following, both in turn falling to a machine's sigh. "I am not a weapon."

"The damn thing speaks!"

Thomas could have been slapped with the glares sent by the other Scouts. Giving a brief glance, the Giant snorted and turned away. He spoke, he existed, he felt. Kent Mansley's face flashed through troubled circuits, a fool and yet so weak a man that it gave much needed humor. He laughed, looked back to Thomas, and called out, "I am not a thing."

"Then... what are you?" Mina inquired, testing confidence that the being would not harm them, albeit none of they could harm it. Levi's failure to leave a mark had shocked and awed all, but none, save she, dared risk to follow suit, let alone speak to him. Perhaps that had been too harsh, and given the unusual nature of the Giant's presence and they still breathing, Mina bit back the nervous laugh for attempting this seemingly insane experiment. "Who are you?"

_You are who you choose to be. _This loving memory brought pride and happiness. Facing her, arms akimbo, the Giant looked to the left and up. "I am Superman."

That did it, shocked whispers trading through the branches. "Superman." "He returns." "The steel man." "The man of steel." One word gave those who sought to flee pause, one name that had been lost to human ears for ages, seen often in the old libraries yet always passed over as a phrase that once, in days long past, held great cultural meaning to be reprinted so many times. One near holy name that spoke of a foreign man that defended humanity, faded image painted upon delicate paper called comics, he who fought monsters akin to Titans in the name of justice. Superman, shared with a similar story, how a literal man of steel charged a blazing comic, vanishing to hellish fire, saving a thousand lives, spoken with rich vigor during sermons. _He died for humanity,_ a pastor would say, not realizing the irony of such words, or the true history behind two represented stories.

"Superman returns."


End file.
